Toy scenery



July 20, 1943.

D. M. WARREN TOY SCENERY Filed Sept. 5, 1941 v Donald M Warren M I Patented July 20, 1943 UNITED STATES FAT ENT orricr. r w .2,324,892 7 i TOY SCENEBY.

i I Donald M. Warren, LaFayette, Ind. 'I Application semester 5, 1941-,seriaina oaeal g Claims. (01.. 46-21) This invention relates to toy scenery particularly designed for use in connection with toy trams, and the like. The invention is, however. adaptable toot-her display purposes. I r .Themain objectsof the invention are-to pro vide toy scenery or display material in sectional construction so that several units ofscenery may be inter-connected to produce a long; scenic strip; to provide 'toy sceneryconstructlonwhich will be rigid and stable and thevsectionsfofwhich may b effectively inter-connected by readily disen gageable means; and in. general it is. the obicct of the invention to provide improved toy scenery of. the characterindicated whichmay. be made economically and at low cost. so as to bepractically salable as. an accessory to trainsets and thelike. Other objectsand advantages of the invention will be understood by referenceto; the following specification and the accompanying drawing,

wherein there is" illustrated toy" scenery embody ing a selected form of the invention.

position of the end flapsyia and is and: each beveled corner'of the bottom flap. is provided with In the drawing, Fig. 1, front. leva-tion, Fig.2.

isla perspective rear View; Fig. 3'isia horizontal section on the line 3+3 of-Fig. 2:1 Fig. 4 is. a

vertical section onthe line 4-4 of Fig.2 and Fig; 5 is a plan or a blank. employed for forming one of the elements of the improved structure.

Y Referring, now to thedraiving, the toy scenery I therein disclosed embodiesxa section made of paperboard of a suitable weight and having the desired illustrationcof scenery printed or other wise applied on its-front face. The bottom edge lb of each sectionispreferably made straight so that the section may rest. with said edge; on a table or floor, and thetop edge I I may be shaped to conform to the upper edges of whatever scenery is pictured on the section. As shown in Fig. 1, two sections are arranged end to end. One section, marked A, may have the illustration of buildings or industrial plants or the like therein, and the next adjacent section B may be illustrated in continuity of the illustration contained on section A but varied somewhat. For example, the illustration may vary from that typifying an industrial section, as that on section A, to a rural section on section B or other succeeding sections.

Each section is provided with a fold line to facilitate the rearward and upward folding of a lower marginal portion or flange l2 and with additional fold lines facilitating the rearward and inward folding of marginal end portions of flaps l3 and I4.

The bottom flap l2 has its corners beveled as indicated at IE to conform to thedesired angular an can .18:- which is. adapted to passingthrough opening-sill provided in the respective end flaps l3 and: H for receiving said ears- ,The cars and openings: 11: and"ltjare preferably of the type shown inmy-PatentNo. 1,98%666, and: serve to releasabiy lock the endilapsv l3 End'M in their rearwardly folded position-,'sas indicated-in Figs.-

2 and}; I

For supporting the display section or scenery unitin upright position, the flanges 13 and H may have their bottom ends cut square or'inclined slightly so. as. to causetheisection tostand V upright with only a slight upward and rearward angle. Also, the width. of the flaps l3 and H may be sufficient to. supply the required amount of support and the width of said end flapsmaybe greater at their bottom ends than'at the top, if desired.

i In, cnepractical embodiment of the invention. the; scenery :units .aremade approximately 20 inches length (between end flap fold lines) and with a varying height averagingin the neigh borhcod. of" 8 /2 err-i9 inches. 1 In order that the various-units. may be inter-connected in any desired order, it is preferable. that the ends or all the units be made; of the same height, that the illustrated matter: at. the ends be so designed'as to provide a satisfactory degree of continuity for appearance purposes;' .However. the units. may he'made with different. end dimensions and with matching units having their adjacent ends or like dimensions so as to thereby clearly indicate thev proper order of assembly. or the various units.

'In orderthat a tairlylight. grade of paperboard may be employed in making the units, and the cost thereof kept down, the additional support may be provided intermediat the end of a detachable extension made of a paperboard blank, such as shown in Fig. 5.

As shown in Figs. 2 to 5 inclusive, the auxiliary support member embodies an end wall section l8, side wall sections I9 foldably connected to the ends of the end wall section l8, and a top wall section 20 foldably connected to the top edge of the end wall section 18. The top edges of the sides 19 are provided with tongues 2| which are adapted to project through suitable openings 22 provided in the top wall 20. In assembling the auxiliary support the sides I 9 are folded to rightangular relation to the end l8 and the top 20 is folded downwardly to rest on the top edges of the sides l9-l'9 with the tongues 2| projecting upwardly through the openings 22 to lock said top in its downwardly folded position. The tongues 2| and openings 22 may also be of the type shown in my aforesaid patent.

The front ends 23 of the side l9 are beveled, as shown, to correspond with the angle of the bottom flap I 2 whereby the auxiliary support may be positioned with the forward ends of its sides [9 under and in contact with the bottom flap I2, as clearly shown in Fig. 4 of the drawing. Tongues such as indicated at 24 are preferably provided on the beveled front ends 23 of the sides l9 for passage through suitable openings 25 provided in and assemble so that it is well adapted to use as a toy item. It is nevertheless quite rigid and stable so as to be well suited to the purposes indicated.

Changes in the described structure may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, the scope of which should be determined by the following claims, the same being construed as broadly as possible consistent with the state of the art.

I claim:

1. In a toy device of the class described, a

horizontally elongated, flexible panel, a rearthe bottom flap l2, to thereby attach the auxiliary support to the display panel. Said tongues and openings 24 and 25 may also be of the character shown in my aforesaid patent so as to effectively but detachably connect the auxiliary support to the display panel. Said tongues 24 may also be extended as indicated at 28 to engage the back of the upright panel to thereby add further support. It will be observed that the extension 26 together with the tongue 24 serves as a strut or brace between the bottom flap l2 and the upright panel, so as to prevent any substantial flexing of the flap l2 relative to the upright panel.

For connecting the adjacent ends of successive units or sections, such as A and B, the end flaps I3 and 14 are provided with openings, such as indicated at 21 and 28 respectively, and the main panel provided with ears, such as indicated at 29 and 30, at its opposite ends. As shown, the opening and ear 21 and 29 are arranged in inverted relation to the opening and ear 28 and 30 so that the ear 30 at the end of a section such as B will enter the opening 21 at the adjacent end of the section A. The ears 29 and 30 extend rigidly from the panels A and B, being cut out of the respective end flaps I 3 and I4, as best shown in Fig. 2. The ears and openings 21, 28, 29 and 30 may also be of the form referred to in my said co-pending patent whereby said ears and openings are effective to securely but detachably connect the assembled sections.

The rearwardly folded bottom flap I2 serves to impart rigidity to the elongated panel so as to prevent horizontal curling thereof. Similarly, the rearwardly folded end flaps resist vertical curling. The flexibility of the connection between the ends of adjacent sections serves, however, to permit horizontal, angular disposition of adjacent sections that a set of toy scenery of the character described may be positioned in substantial conformity to curves and lik rounded track sections in toy railroads and the like.

The described construction is simple to set up wardly bent bottom flange on said panel, means for locking said flange in predetermined rearwardly folded position, and supporting means intermediate the length of said flange for maintaining the panel in upright position.

2. In a toy device of the character described, a display panel, a rearwardly bent bottom flange, means for locking said bottom flang in an upwardly and rearwardly angular extending position, means at the ends of said panel for supporting the same in upright position, and means intermediate the ends of said panel and connected to said angularly disposed bottom flange for supplementing the end supporting means to maintain said panel in upright position.

3. A device of the class described comprising a normally upright panel, a bottom'fiap extending rearwardly and upwardly from said panel, end flanges folded rearwardly from the opposite ends of the panel, means interconnecting the ends of said bottom flap and the respectively adjacent flanges to lock said bottom flap in predetermined angular position, and a support for said panel comprising a foldable paperboard member having rigidly connected side portions provided with angular ends adapted to engage the face of said angularly disposed bottom flap, and means 'detachably interconnecting said bottom flap and said support so as to maintam the same in assembledrelation.

4. A device according to claim 3 wherein the interconnecting means between the bottom flap and support comprises openings in said flap and tongues extending from the angular ends of said sides.

5. A device according to claim 3 wherein the interconnecting means between the bottom flap and support comprises openings in said flap and tongues extending from the angular ends of said sides and wherein said tongues are provided with extensions for engaging the'upright panel substantially as described.

DONALD M. WARREN. 

